Comments on: Olympics: Australia Rules! http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/ The blog of the mystery writer, screenwriter and CEO of Pajamas Media Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:59:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: nathan http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97533 nathan Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:12:05 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97533 i have been living in asia for the last 12 years and have known many, MANY aussies during my time here. they are always, almost without exception, laid-back, friendly, and fun, and MAN CAN THEY DRINK! love 'em! good on ya, ozzies! i have been living in asia for the last 12 years and have known many, MANY aussies during my time here.

they are always, almost without exception, laid-back, friendly, and fun, and MAN CAN THEY DRINK!

love ‘em! good on ya, ozzies!

]]> By: Willmott Fribbish http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97509 Willmott Fribbish Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:02:35 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97509 You have to consider that the Australian government (through its sports development programs etc.) spent an estimated $17 million per medal won. How does that stack up with the others I wonder? You have to consider that the Australian government (through its sports development programs etc.) spent an estimated $17 million per medal won. How does that stack up with the others I wonder?

]]> By: SR http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97408 SR Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:43:12 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97408 Very interested that the Chinese have relied on "sports" where subjective judging is required for victory, whereas the US prevails where there is an impartial clock or in an actual head to head competition with points involved . Very interested that the Chinese have relied on “sports” where subjective judging is required for victory, whereas the US prevails where there is an impartial clock or in an actual head to head competition with points involved .

]]> By: srlucado http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97315 srlucado Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:43:16 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97315 Interesting that India, with about 1,000,000,000 people, has two medals. I guess the Olympic sports aren't that big there. Scott Interesting that India, with about 1,000,000,000 people, has two medals. I guess the Olympic sports aren’t that big there.

Scott

]]> By: Roderick Reilly http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97262 Roderick Reilly Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:48:23 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97262 """""Does the presence of sharks motivate people to swim more quickly?"""" It would motivate me to stick to swimming pools. “”"”"Does the presence of sharks motivate people to swim more quickly?”"”"

It would motivate me to stick to swimming pools.

]]> By: Mitch http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97258 Mitch Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:21:23 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97258 On the other hand, how many sharks are bitten by Aussies? Quite a few, I would imagine. Australians are scary people. On the other hand, how many sharks are bitten by Aussies? Quite a few, I would imagine. Australians are scary people.

]]> By: Ben http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97256 Ben Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:09:48 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97256 Of the 35 Australian medals, all but 4 involved swimming, boating, diving, etc. Aussies are fast in the water! Australia is the second most heavily shark bitten nation. Only the United States has more shark attacks annually than Australia. And guess who has more swimming medals? Sharks in the water. Fast swimmers. Coincidence? Does the presence of sharks motivate people to swim more quickly? Of the 35 Australian medals, all but 4 involved swimming, boating, diving, etc. Aussies are fast in the water!

Australia is the second most heavily shark bitten nation.

Only the United States has more shark attacks annually than Australia. And guess who has more swimming medals?

Sharks in the water. Fast swimmers. Coincidence? Does the presence of sharks motivate people to swim more quickly?

]]> By: hot type http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97255 hot type Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:44:55 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97255 actually the surprise is the British being third in gold medal count actually the surprise is the British being third in gold medal count

]]> By: srlucado http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97253 srlucado Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:38:39 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97253 I bet the Ozzie female gymnasts are actually at least 16, too. (And Tim, of course being at the pinnacle doesn't mean that that individual is the best of all humans for that position. Does anyone really think that the two people in America best qualified to be President are Obama and McCain?) Scott I bet the Ozzie female gymnasts are actually at least 16, too.

(And Tim, of course being at the pinnacle doesn’t mean that that individual is the best of all humans for that position. Does anyone really think that the two people in America best qualified to be President are Obama and McCain?)

Scott

]]> By: tim maguire http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97252 tim maguire Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:30:25 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/08/18/olympics-australia-rules/#comment-97252 I always take some cheer from seeing an athelete from a small obscure country winning a medal, but the size of the source population for a country's athletes is not very important for the success of its team. And for the same reason I have a problem with saying that the gold medal winner is the best in the world at whatever he or she did. No great athletic talent can make the olympics on talent and hard work alone. They are not drawn from the general population such that a group of 200 would be likely to produce twice as many as a group of 100. Rather, they are drawn from the much smaller group of people who's talents are spotted early and have extremely supportive parents with the financial means to give that child every advatange of training. That is, these medalists are the best of a very small elite who have little or nothng to do with the larger population of their country. The greatest beach volleyball player in the world, ability-wise, might never have seen a volleyball and spent the olympics ice fishing in Siberia, the greatest ski jumper might spend the winter olympics cleaning fish in the Canary Islands, the greatest marathoner shoveling coal in Germany. And so on. I always take some cheer from seeing an athelete from a small obscure country winning a medal, but the size of the source population for a country’s athletes is not very important for the success of its team. And for the same reason I have a problem with saying that the gold medal winner is the best in the world at whatever he or she did.

No great athletic talent can make the olympics on talent and hard work alone. They are not drawn from the general population such that a group of 200 would be likely to produce twice as many as a group of 100. Rather, they are drawn from the much smaller group of people who’s talents are spotted early and have extremely supportive parents with the financial means to give that child every advatange of training.

That is, these medalists are the best of a very small elite who have little or nothng to do with the larger population of their country. The greatest beach volleyball player in the world, ability-wise, might never have seen a volleyball and spent the olympics ice fishing in Siberia, the greatest ski jumper might spend the winter olympics cleaning fish in the Canary Islands, the greatest marathoner shoveling coal in Germany. And so on.

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